Tuesday, June 30, 2009

One. Al Franken became our Senator representing Minnesota. Finally. It's only been 8 months since the election...but who is counting. Not that I am saying that I voted for Franken. But I am happy...I'm just saying..

Two. I thought I found a HUGE new mole on my chest and completely FREAKED out. Upon further investigation, it turned out to be dried hot fudge. Whew, that was a close one.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

The girlies and I are leaving on a jet plane...don't know when we'll be back again.

Okay, we'll be home in 10 days.

Off to Indiana because my large pregnant body really needs more heat and humidity.

I am leaving the girlies for the weekend to go have a 40th birthday party with 9 of my closest high school girl friends. I will try not to do too many shots. Geesh, I hope I am not the only pregnant 40 year old there...wouldn't that be embarrassing.

Let's hope little Miss doesn't arrive while we are on vacation. Wait, are there hospitals in Indiana?If I decided not to check-in with you. Have a happy 4th and have a cold one on me.xoxo,t

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

So, Eloise started t-ball yesterday. She is on the Mets(whomever they are?). Anyway, her jersey is Orange. It isn't too bad really. Most other teams are blue. I don't like girls in blue...especially navy blue.When her coach called, my first question to him was "what color are the tee's" - he said "tee's? - you mean jerseys?" Whatever. I just needed to know the color so I could buy shorts to coordinate. Not that it matters since the jerseys are made for 10 year olds and will cover any properly matched shorts you buy for your sweet girl. Geesh. I also needed to know if they were getting hats, so I knew how to do her hair for games.

Eloise and I went to Gymboree(shhh, I have been there on occasion to buy PLAY clothes), and we purchased a pair of embroidered denim shorts for $12.99. She has been begging me to wear them all month, but I told her denim shorts from Gymboree are for t-ball ONLY and she can find a nice Oilily or Matilda Jane sundress to wear in the meantime.Turns out she could be just wearing her underwear since the "jersey" is so big. ..and you know what, Eloise is the TALLEST player on her team - you should see the gowns the short kids are sporting. It is a complete fashion nightmare out there. I tried to talk her into belting it like a tunic or tying a knot on the side, but she liked it gown style. Crazy kids.

I wonder if the league is looking for a fashion coordinator?

Speaking of fashion, I do have to say I am very impressed with our teams 1st base coach. Look at this cute little shift dress she is wearing with the gorgeous flats. I am assuming as Eloise was holding down 1st base, that this coach was admiring Eloise's Hello Kitty necklace. It pays to accessorize.Oh, and yes, Eloise did bat and did actually hit the ball and she got 4 balls when she was in the field(with her cute little pink glove).

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

When I go back and read this post of mine just 4 short weeks ago, I realize that it was probably the biggest bunch of crap that I have ever written.Now I do realize that was like 500 pounds ago and it was like 200 degrees cooler back then...and perhaps I had just watched some sappy chick flick and was hormonally happy. Things like that happen you know...to the best of us.It is 100 degrees this week, I am huge, tired and just plain HOT. I love my old home, I hate that my old home doesn't have air conditioning. I can barely move and I am not fun to be around. I think I am just about ready for this baby to be on the outside.I wonder if she is just about ready? She is probably thinking it is much cooler where she is too and should wait until this hot spell is over. I told her that hospitals have air conditioning - it would be like our little spa weekend away. For now, she is not buying it.xoxo,t(..and thanks Kristi for the sweet photos you took..xoxo)

Monday, June 15, 2009

(a good blogging and shopping friend of mine at House of Estrogen introduced me to the Simple Woman's Daybook blog as a great way to start the week - so I thought I would give it a good try to keep me organized and focus for each week ahead.)

For Today...

Outside my window... the sun is rising and it is going to be beautiful today

I am thinking... that I shouldn't still be drinking a pot of coffee every morning

I am thankful for... a refreshing weekend and that my Aunt took my girls overnight

Friday, June 12, 2009

Me: "Hey Eloise, your T-ball coach called last night. He says we have to be to practice by 5:45. You will get your jersey and hat that night too."

Eloise: "Did you say 'he' - my coach is a boy?"

Me: "Yes, I am sure it is one of the kids' dads from your team. Most of the coaches will probably be dads."

Eloise: "Well, there could be mommy coaches too. I mean YOU could never be a coach because you are old and everything. But some of the younger mommies who don't have gray hair and can still run might be coaches."

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Last week it dawned on me that I am having a baby in 6 weeks...and this growth in my belly is not just a nice turkey dinner that I consumed.

In that moment that I realized I was having a baby, I also realized that I have NOTHING for the baby in our home. NOTHING.

So last Friday, I hauled the girls to the ginormous baby store to shop. I walked in, saw all of these 20/30 somethings soon to be new moms with their registries and lists and girlfriends and moms and carts full of shit that they need for baby, and that they were actually PURCHASING for baby..and then I walked a few aisles and realized how unprepared I am.

I started sobbing and dragged my girls with me quickly out of the store and back to the car empty handed and defeated.

How had I forgotten how much a baby needs - from the bathtub to the crib to the stroller to the diapers to the ointments to the teeny nail clippers... Oh, and let's not forget mom...the sanitary pads, the nursing pads, the breast pump, the nursing bras, tops...

Seriously, I freaked. We have nothing. I sold it all, threw it all away, gave it all away. Disposed of all baby thoughts and baby evidence away completely forever and gave up last year.

Now here I am a week later still afraid to even purchase a diaper or nursing pad. Deep down I know I am still scared that a baby is not really coming. Why go and spend time and money on something that doesn't really exist. If this baby really does come - I will just run to Target that day and get a few things. Not to be negative, but I still can't stop these thoughts from racing through my mind and weighing on my heart? How can she be real? How can I be this lucky? Impossible.

I even tried to sit and make a list of what I could possibly need and never got passed the list title. I am lost, hopeless and not even sure where to start. And, if I did buy all of this stuff, where would I put it? We don't even have a room for a nursery set-up, a crib assembled, walls painted.....

Sadly, I have been here before. My most vivid memory of having Eloise, is immediately after getting home from the hospital I walked with my baby upstairs to what would become her nursery. It was bare. Yes, the pink walls were ready, but nothing else - no crib, no rocking chair...just a few bags of diapers and changes of clothing. I sat in the middle of the floor with her and just sobbed and called my mom. "What am I suppose to do? She came so early..we have nothing for her. She doesn't have a room, our home is under construction, I don't have a place to even lay her down. No crib, no bassinet, no floor space not full of dust and dirt."

My mom told me to just hold her, and that a baby doesn't really need very much. Lots of love, lots of diapers, and I could do the rest...and that we would figure it out. And we did.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

I apologize that it has taken me 2 weeks to write you this letter. Really you have been on my mind.

I am writing this letter to apologize for laughing hysterically in your face when you yelled at me in the dressing room of our daughter's dance recital.

First it was your passive aggressive comments, and then your blatant bitchy yelling that got me. Really, I am sorry for laughing back at you.

At the time it was really all I could do.

Sure, I could've jumped on you all "8 month pregnant hormonal lady crazy" and taken your ass down and beaten you up and made you my bitch.

But no.

I just laughed. Because it was quite humorous.

Really, weren't we all just in the same boat? Trying to get our 100's of girls dressed and ready for the big recital. Aren't we doing this because they are just so darn cute and so they can have some fun at the age of FOUR! Isn't it really just for the kids to have fun? We are just pawns in this silly recital, child make-up game? Right? Why take it so seriously.

Now, I do realize that I laid my purse AND god forbid sat my daughter down exactly 5 inches from "YOUR" chair - and somehow this impeded on your day so much that you chose to get the vapors and yell at us.

But you know, after 3 days of listening to you yell at your precious FOUR YEAR OLDS about how they were doing nothing right, I actually appreciated you yelling at me and NOT THEM for once...and it kind of made me smile.

We all just try to do the best by our children - even when they are wearing blue eyeshadow. I understand that this whole 4 nights of dance craziness evidently stresses you out beyond repair. I feel your pain.

I promise not to laugh at you next year. I will bring the vodka.amen.xoxo,t

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

If I may digress into a sad shopping post please. Sorry, this is something so near and dear to me. If you are bored already, please move on with your day with more enlightening activities.

It all started nearly 7 years ago, July 2002 when I found out I was pregnant with a girl. A girl. A week later, I found myself entering my first Oilily store at the corner of Peiter Cornelisz. Hooftstraat, next to the Vondelpark, a short 6 block walk from my apartment in Amsterdam. It was love as first sight. By the time I moved home to Minnesota, I had filled a nice sized crate with just Oilily baby girl clothing.

...my love has continued for nearly 7 years as Oilily being my first love of children's clothing. The whimsical style, the fun prints...I could go on....

In the past few years, there has been management and ownership changes, design changes, manufacturing changes. There has been some lapses in quality and in design. But, I have held onto my hope.

Oilily filed Chapter 11 this Spring, and now worse, Oilily USA has closed "my" local store. I am feeling a bit lost now and am tempted to hold a candlelight vigil outside the shuttered shop.

I am afraid that would label me a crazed shopping loon though. But everyone needs a cause.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Eloise went to her first sleepover last night. Barely kissed me goodbye when I dropped her off. I can't believe she is only 6. Gosh, she is only 6 and going on sleepovers?At dinner last night, Jed told her that he didn't sleep away from home or with anyone but relatives until he was 15.

Eloise laughed at him.Just wait until she hears how old he was when he first kissed a girl.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

...well, okay I have to talk I guess because I cannot help myself...Yesterday was the first official day of being home for Summer break and I heard "I'm bored" 475 times. I wonder how bored they will be locked in a closet while I sip margaritas in the backyard whilst reading People Magazine. Let's hope they find some toys and/or friends today....